Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Weird Tourist Experience #2

Mary King's Close is an entire street buried underground but still preserved. They run tours to it, and somehow manage to string an entire hour out of it.

Here's how they do it...

"Fair afternoon to thee, gentlefolk! I am Stephen Booth, a merchant of these parts. Mary King's Close that is, and I'd be delighted to take yon folk on a tour back in time to ma hoose... Now, mind yon steppes, and prithee doth speke oop if thou sufferest from ailments such as the ashtma, the epilepsy or a strong reactions to strobe lighthing."

And so, an hour of trudging around in the gloom, through fascinating chambers accompanied by badly dressed yokels. And our tour guide.

At one point they switched the lights off and played us a ghost story. That's right - not read, played. A tape recording. Of some nonsense.

Then, right at the end, they show you the amazing preserved street. You marvel at it. And they whisk you off it and back up the stairs before you have a real chance to march up or down it.